The possessor of the crabbiest technique in world cricket, Shivnarine Chanderpaul proves there is life beyond the coaching handbook. He never seems to play in the V, or off the front foot, but uses soft hands, canny deflections, and a whiplash pull-shot to maintain a Test average of around 50. While the cricket world was obsessed with Brian Lara's unquestionable talent, Chanderpaul has shown that there are alternate ways to be consistent and prolific in Test cricket over a long period of time, becoming only the second West Indian to score 10,000 Test runs.

When Chanderpaul started out, he had a couple of problems: first, a low conversion rate of around one hundred to every ten fifties, and secondly, his physical frailty, widely thought to be hypochondria. That myth was exploded when a large piece of floating bone was removed from his foot late in 2000, and, suitably liberated, he set about rectifying his hundreds problem, scoring three in four Tests against India in 2001-02, and two more in the home series against Australia the following year, including 104 as West Indies successfully chased a world-record 418 for victory in the final Test in Antigua.

Since then, he has hardly had any prolonged lean periods, and has managed to keep his own standards at a remarkably high level despite the perennial problems that West Indies have faced. On the few occasions that West Indies have tasted success, Chanderpaul's contributions have been equally vital - in the Champions Trophy triumph in 2004, he contributed greatly with a consistent performances.

A stint as West Indies captain followed in 2005-06, and though he celebrated with a double-century in front of his home fans in Guyana, it was clear that captaincy was affecting his batting, and in 2006 he gave it up to concentrate on his main job.

Perhaps his greatest contribution, though, has been in holding together West Indies' fragile batting line-up after Lara's retirement. With a couple of other senior batsmen, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, not being available due to various reasons, Chanderpaul's contributions have been immense, as he has defied bowling attacks in all countries and all conditions, often with minimal support from the other end. One of the best examples of that was against Australia in 2012, in the series in which he got to 10,000 Test runs: he ran up scores of 103*, 12, 94, 68 and 69, for an aggregate of 346 in five innings. The second-highest aggregate for West Indies in the series was 186, which amply sums up Chanderpaul's Test career.
ESPNcricinfo - January 2014

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Timeline

March 17, 1994 Test debut

Five months short of 20, Chanderpaul makes his international debut, as much for his legbreaks as his left-hand batting, against England in Georgetown, and scores a half-century.

April 16-20, 1994 Matching steps with Lara

In his fourth Test, after hitting 77 the game before, Chanderpaul scores an unbeaten 75, matching Brian Lara at times to the point that in one period, while Lara scores 31 with four fours, Chanderpaul makes 28 with five. But then he settles down and plays a key role in partnering Lara to his first world Test record of 375.

October 17, 1994 One-day debut

Plays his first ODI against India in Faridabad, but does not get to bat in West Indies' victory.

Despite scoring fifties against England in his debut series, Chanderpaul finds himself in and out of the team for tours of India and New Zealand, and dropped for the 1995 visit by Australia.

November 29-December 3, 1996 The spot of excitement

During the tour of Australia at the end of 1996, a 22-year-old Chanderpaul takes on the challenge of the No.3 spot in the batting order as Lara labours against the threat of Glenn McGrath. He scores three half-centuries, the most brilliant of which is a 68-ball 71, with ten fours, in Sydney before being conquered by an outrageous delivery from Shane Warne.

March 27-30, 1997 Three figures at last

In Bridgetown, Chanderpaul enters in the third over and remains unbeaten after nearly seven and a half hours, during which he strikes 12 fours and offeres no chance. His 137 follows a sequence of 13 scores between 50 and 82 in his previous 18 Tests. His relief is evident as he kisses the pitch. India, needing just 120, capitulate against irresistible fast bowling on a capricious pitch.

Again in Bridgetown, Chanderpaul reaches his first hundred at this level five weeks after his maiden Test century. He makes 109 off 134 balls, with a six and 15 fours, to clinch the series 3-1 and take the Man of the Series award including both Tests and one-day internationals.

January 24, 1999 Highest ODI score

Numerous records are set as Chanderpaul (with a personal-best 150 off 136 balls) and Carl Hooper (108 off 119) win the game with a stand of 226 - a West Indian all-wicket record and the highest for any wicket against South Africa in East London.

Having plundered the third fastest Test century - off 69 balls - on his home ground against Australia, Chanderpaul closes off the series with another century that helps West Indies reach a world record target of 418 in Antigua and avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash.

July 22-26, 2004 One-man show at Lord's

Chanderpaul, back to his crustacean best after an indifferent run, nudges and nurdles to his 11th Test century and remains not out on 97 in the second innings, but West Indies go down to England in the first match of the series at Lord's.

March 2005 Stepping up

Lara stands down from the captaincy because of an ongoing contractual dispute with the board and Chanderpaul says he is prepared to take it in the middle of an industrial relations dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players' Association. It is an impasse that sees nearly all of his team-mates coming down on the side opposite his and that does not give him pause.

This Georgetown Test will be remembered more for Jacques Kallis' resolute innings that guides South Africa to safety after an innings defeat seems inevitable, but Chanderpaul plays his part with his highest score. West Indies go into the match with only one survivor, Chanderpaul, from their last Test, at The Oval in August 2004, and the loss of Lara and the six players directly involved in the contractual dispute appears to rule the rump West Indian team out of contention. Batting with the pressure of captaincy, Chanderpaul faces 369 balls, bats 509 minutes and hits 23 fours.

May 22-26, 2005 Leading from the front

Leading against Pakistan at the Kensington Oval, Chanderpaul helps give the intimate old ground a rousing send-off, scoring 92 and 153 not out to outplay a distracted and disorganised Pakistan side to complete victory inside four days. In the first innings he holds the innings together after Lara's departure until eight short of three figures, and in the second he decides not to enforce the follow-on, taking it upon himself build on a commanding 201-run lead. His unbeaten 153 lifts his side to 371, and West Indies win the Test.

April 12, 2006 Pushed, or did he jump?

After just short of 12 months as West Indies captain, Chanderpaul resigns from the post, saying he wishes to focus on his batting. His last series as captain results in a 2-0 defeat to New Zealand and he leaves just a couple of weeks before the home international season begins with an ODI series against Zimbabwe, before the visit of India.

Despite Chanderpaul's brilliance, India scrape home in a match of 662 runs, the most for any ODI in India, in Nagpur. Chasing a target of 338, he and Chris Gayle silence the crowd with a violent start, and West Indies are within range after 40 overs: 100 needed, seven wickets in hand, Chanderpaul on 100 and Lara well set. His blistering strokeplay isn't quite enough as West Indies finish on 324 for 8, but Chanderpaul, who bats through the innings, win the hearts of the 40,000-odd spectators.

April 12, 2008 Sealing it with a six

Chanderpaul carries West Indies to a thrilling final-ball one-wicket win in the first ODI in Trinidad after being left needing 10 off two deliveries. He responds with a straight drive before flicking a Chaminda Vaas full toss over deep midwicket to send the Trinidad crowd into wild celebrations.

May 30-June 3, 2008 No win, but a special day

With trademark resistance, Chanderpaul scores a fighting century and with Ramnaresh Sarwan helps saved the second Test for West Indies but not the Frank Worrell Trophy, which Ricky Ponting's men secure with a tense draw. A couple of late successes give Australia a sniff with the new ball when the match seems all but over, however it is Chanderpaul who guides his team home and finishes unbeaten on 77 to secure the first draw between the sides since 1995 - along the way he becomes the first batsman to make unbeaten fifty-plus scores in both innings of a Test on three occasions.

Chanderpaul remains undefeated yet again - this time against England - scoring 147 and helping West Indies to within two runs of England's 546. Despite a second-innings collapse, West Indies manage a draw.

June 26-29, 2010 Defiance in defeat

Another typically gutsy knock in a defeat, as Chanderpaul remains unbeaten on 71 even as West Indies are bundled out for 161 in the second innings on the way to a seven-wicket defeat against South Africa in Barbados.

July 6-10, 2011 Keeping India at bay

Another unbeaten century - this time 116 off 343 balls - keeps India on the field long enough to enable West Indies to avoid defeat.

An unbeaten 103 against Australia makes Chanderpaul the highest run-getter in Tests at the Kensington Oval, going past Lara's mark of 1339 runs. It still can't stop Australia from stealing a three-wicket win.

April 27, 2012 Joining the 10,000 club

The landmark finally arrives in the second innings of the Test against Australia in Roseau, when Chanderpaul reaches 14. It's another typically resilient match for Chanderpaul, with scores of 68 and 69.